It`s been so stormy lately, I have not been able to get out and fish the inshore waters of Cedar Key, Florida. Today, Aug. 26th, tropical storm Isaac is moving up the west coast of Florida. It has already rained so much, that the water just sits on the ground in large puddles now, unable to soak into the upper layer of dirt. It`s hot and humid. Like all past Augusts`. The wind is light and the seas are flat and smooth. Late at night, if the moon is full you can see for miles out over the Gulf of Mexico. I can remember nights like that 35 years ago when I commercial fished the offshore waters between St. Petersburg, Fl. and Appalachicola, Fl. Just me and the Captain aboard a 28ft. solid wooden boat powered by a 6 cyl diesel engine. Comfort wasn`t a consideration. Filling up the 1000lb. fish box was our mission. 
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Imagine motoring from rock pile to rock pile and sending down whole bait fish, 60 to 90 feet deep, to bring up 40lb. Black Grouper and Red Snapper and Red Grouper.Captain Keith would fish all day and anchor up at night and get some shut-eye. He didn`t go at it steady 24 hours like some boats did back then. We`d fish an area called the `Florida Middle Grounds` out about 100 miles until we were full and then make our way into Appalachicola and sell our catch there and spend a night in town and then re-supply and shove off and fish our way back down to John`s Pass just south of Clearwater, Fl. and sell that box full down there. With a few days off, we would act how fishermen with big paychecks` act all over the world. Then tidy up and tighten down the boat and re-supply and do it all over again. Summer time fishing was real easy. Of course we watched out for the occasional hurricane. We`d cut those real close sometimes. You know, I don`t get offshore in deep water much anymore. My charter business in strictly inshore along the islands and shallow flats. We don`t even fish at night, but I can still remember those full moon nights when the ocean was smooth as glass and the stars seemed right on top of us. Sure slept good on that little boat. Folks, if the hurricanes don`t get us and its` not raining, call me at 352-221-5463 and we`ll get out on the fertile waters of Cedar Key, Fl. and catch some redfish, we are hooking up with reds all around the oyster bars right now, and speckled trout too. Check out the pictures at:
http://www.inshorefloridafishing.com
thanks, Capt. Dan |
